(a) "Assessment certificate" means a certificate issued by a
board pursuant to section fifteen of this article to evidence an
assessment levied against property abutting a wastewater or water
project, or on which a flood relief project is completed or
protects.

(b) "Assessment district" means a community improvement
assessment district created by a governing body pursuant to section
seven of this article.

(c) "Assessment fee" means the fee paid by a person or
governmental agency owning property located within an assessment
district, based on the assessment levied against the property
pursuant to section ten of this article, to pay for the cost of a
project abutting, constructed upon or protecting such property.

(d) "Board" means the community improvement board of each
assessment district provided under section eight of this article.

(e) "Code" means the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine
hundred thirty-one, as amended.

(f) "Cost" means, as applied to each wastewater, water or
flood relief project financed, in whole or in part, with the
proceeds from assessment certificates, all costs and expenses
incurred by a county or municipality, and the respective assessment
districts created under this article, that are reasonable and
necessary for the planning, development, construction and carrying
out of all works and undertakings necessary or incident to the
completion of a project, including, without limitation, the cost and expense of all labor, work, supervision, inspection, equipment
leased and materials furnished and used in completing the project,
any interest charged on funds borrowed to finance the construction
of a project, advertising expenses, and any engineering, legal,
surveying, accounting or other professional fees incurred in
connection with or otherwise relating to a project.

(g) "Flood relief project" means a project involving one or
more of the following activities: (1) The moving, removing,
renovating, relocation or demolition of, or any other actions taken
to provide protection from flooding to, one or more buildings,
structures and other permanent improvements located on property
owned by any person, which the governing body of the county or
municipality in which the project is completed, or any other
governmental agency, has determined is within an area threatened by
flooding; or (2) the acquisition of property which is located
outside of an area threatened by flooding to serve as a site on
which one or more buildings, structures and other permanent
improvements which are located within an area that is threatened by
flooding may be relocated, or on which new buildings, structures
and other permanent improvements may be constructed, and the
construction of such new buildings, structures and improvements if
relocating existing buildings, structures and improvements is not
feasible; or (3) the construction of levies or stream channel
improvements to provide flood protection to specifically identified
lots or parcels of land located within an area which a governing
body or other governmental agency has determined is threatened by
flooding, all so as to protect the health and safety of persons residing or engaged in business on such threatened property and to
eliminate or minimize the risk of damage caused by flooding to such
buildings, structures and permanent improvements.

(h) "Governing body" means, in the case of a county, the
county commission, and in the case of a municipality, the mayor and
council together, the council, the board of directors or other
board or body of any municipality, by whatever name called, as the
case may be, charged with the responsibility of enacting ordinances
and determining the public policy of such municipality.

(i) "Governmental agency" means the state government or any
agency, department, division or unit thereof; counties;
municipalities; any watershed improvement districts, soil
conservation districts, sanitary districts, public service
districts, drainage districts, urban renewal authorities or
regional governmental authorities established pursuant to this codeand any other governmental agency, entity, political subdivision,
public corporation or agency having the authority to acquire,
construct, maintain or operate wastewater facilities; the United
States government or any agency, department, division or unit
thereof; and any agency, commission or authority established
pursuant to an interstate compact or agreement.

(m) "Public way" means any street, alley, right-of-way,
easement or other interest in real estate, or any portion or
combination thereof, along or across which a wastewater or water
project is constructed.

(n) "Public service commission" means the public service
commission established under article one, chapter twenty-four of
this code.

(o) "Recorder" means the recorder, clerk or other municipal
officer, by whatever name called, charged with the responsibility
of keeping the journal of the proceedings of the governing body of
the municipality and other municipal records.

(p) "Utility" means a public utility as defined in article
one, chapter twenty-four of this code.

(q) "Wastewater project" means the planning, acquisition,
construction, improvement or extension of new or existing sewer
lines, pumps and related equipment and facilities, and any land,
public ways or other interests in real estate, whether located
within or outside of an assessment district, necessary or incident
to the transportation of sewage, industrial wastes or other wastes,
wastewater, and the residue thereof, from property located within
an assessment district to a wastewater facility located within or
outside of an assessment district.

(r) "Wastewater facility" means all facilities used for or in
connection with treating, neutralizing, disposing of, stabilizing,
cooling, segregating or holding wastewater, including, without
limitation, facilities for the treatment and disposal of sewage,
industrial wastes or other wastes, wastewater, and the residue thereof, facilities for the temporary or permanent impoundment of
wastewater, both surface and underground; and sanitary sewers or
other collection systems, whether on the surface or underground,
designed to transport wastewater together with the equipment and
furnishings thereof and their appurtenances and systems, whether on
the surface or underground including force mains and pumping
facilities therefor.

(s) "Water project" means the planning, acquisition,
construction, improvement or extension of water lines, pumps and
related equipment and facilities, and any land, public ways or
other interests in real estate, whether located within or outside
of an assessment district, necessary or incident to the
transportation and distribution of water from a water facility
located within or outside of an assessment district to property
located within an assessment district, all for the purpose of
providing potable, sanitary water suitable for human consumption
and use.

(t) "Water facility" means all facilities, land and equipment
used for or in connection with the collection of water, both
surface and underground, transportation of water, treatment of
water and distribution of water all for the purpose of providing
potable, sanitary water suitable for human consumption and use.